Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was in a pretty uncomfortable disposition. He closed his eyes for a while, re-opened them and panted as he attempted to move forward. He stopped feeling exhausted and prayed to Merlin for his ordeal to finish soon. Yet he knew that he had a long way to go until everything would finish. Suddenly he felt a slight kick on the ribs and he growled as a bell-like childish laughter echoed in his ears.“HORSY!”

Baby Harry squealed in excitement as his Guardian, to whose back he was sitting and whose ribs he had kicked started moving once again. Snape on the other hand was not as excited as the small boy. He moved grumbled to himself about how he never really liked to play with the boy and how that little menace was destined to drive him crazy.

“I can’t believe how difficult this is,” Snape thought huffing in exhaustion, “How on Merlin’s triangular-shaped vial; do babies manage to stay in such a position for so long?”

Snape looked up as his head banged slightly against the wall. End of the line. Now it was time to turn back. “How on Earth am I ever going to turn back while I am standing on four?” he pondered as he cautiously moved his hands in order to move around. “Hand, hand, no don’t cross them together. Foot, foot. Oh my back hurts. Hand, hand. Foot, foot. I did it!” Having turned around Snape crawled back to where the starting point of this weird expedition had started.

“Ok Boy, end of the line. Get off my back now.” Snape growled as he landed on his stomach, in a rather ungraceful manner. Baby Harry giggled and moved towards his toys. The tall man stood up, feeling that his back has suffered a non-reversible damage for life. He paced quickly, yet weakly, towards the couch, sat down, and raised his hands up forming a diagonal line with his body. As he shuddered by the horrible ‘crack’ coming from his poor maltreated bones, he could not help but think that Mr. Weasley was worthy of a saint. After all he had carried the burden of seven children on his back. And Snape was perfectly sure that the Twins always rode together.

-)-)-)

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was empty of students, since they had all visited their homes during the Christmas holidays. The castle was quiet indoors but that Wednesday morning the Grounds were not. Madame Hooch was flying into the cold weather. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had just finished charming the castle’s entrance, which was damaged during a blizzard, and were chattering unaware of the position a certain hook-nosed man was about to be.

Far by Professor Snape was standing while holding an infant into his arms. The man seemed to be a huge contrast with the beautiful, almost unnaturally white scenery of the silver frozen lake and heavily snow-packed trees as he was dressed in black. Yet that day Snape was not wearing his usual set of robes but a rather elegant set of black ones. His pair of trousers was made out of expensive magical warm cloth. His cloak had a black fur around the shoulders, and though it seemed rather over-luxurious to him, it was keeping him comfortably warm. To conclude he was wearing a pair of black gloves and boots. Baby Harry, who was also dressed in the same style – only different colour – looked at the snow in excitement and squealed happily.

“Pwetty Cweam”

Baby Harry had tasted whipped creams during last week’s dinner and was so fascinated by it whiteness that cream and snow became one inside his little head. Snape let the toddler down, feeling dazed by the pure white of the scenery.

“Practically Bo. . . Harry, I can’t understand your fascination with snow,” Snape sneered as the boy attempted to walk on the snow. “You cannot move properly with this around. See what I mean?” he exclaimed as the boy sank inside the snow. Snape moved cautiously towards baby Harry.

“Not to mention that this white stuff is . . . aaarrggghhh. . .” Snape was not able to finish his words, since he slipped on the snow and landed on it with a ‘thump, “. . . slippery”

One hour, and a snowman, later a hook-nosed man entered the Castle feeling exhausted and being soaked to the bone. He felt that it was time for a long warm bath for both the little boy and him. Yet he had no time to turn his thought into actions as the Headmaster approached him.

“Ah Severus, had fun outside I guess? I think you ought to visit Poppy at the Infirmary. She has requested to see you, I think.”

-)-)-)

Madam Pomfrey sat at her chair feeling slightly nervous. Snape was never very patient when he heard bad news. And she could guess that these were going to be bad news for him. She sighed, waiting for the professor to enter the Hospital Wing. Some time later the door opened abruptly startling her. She turned angrily to see a sneering Snape, only to sneer to herself.

“My Severus, we should leave you outside in the snow more often!”

Snape looked at her, not understanding and then turned to the wall where she had pointed. His eyes met a mirror and he could not help but stare at the healthily flushed cheeks he was awarded, for being too much time in the cold. He snorted.

“You asked to see me I presume?” he asked coldly, as if the reddening of his cheeks were not important.

“Oh yes,” Madam Pomfrey said returning back to her Healer’s manners. “I am afraid I must ask you to escort young Harry, over here, to his child-doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning. He has a shot appointment”

Snape paled for a moment but regained his coolness much to the Healer’s surprise.

“I would have asked for the shots to be owled. . .”

“Owled?” Snape asked interrupting her. Since when do Muggle child-doctors have access to owls?

“Oh yes she is a Squib, didn’t I tell you. She has access to such things as owls. The fact that she could not do magic did not handicapped her for helping in the wizard society. Anyway - I would have asked for the shots to be owled but I am afraid that owling is not possible with all this upcoming blizzards. So I guess you should wear that Muggle clothes you own, take the subway and be at her office tomorrow morning at ten o’ clock.”

“Hey wait a minute, what about. . .” Snape interrupted and looked at Harry with emphasis.

“Do not worry Severus. Helena is a very trusted member of . . . you know . . . After all we managed to magic everything and everyone to protect Harry over here. A visit to the child-doctor is no difficult thing. Her office will be empty and no one will ever know you were there.”

Snape just sighed in defeat. Thursday was going to be one long day!

-)-)-)

It was a grey moody Thursday morning but no one could feel the cold as they waited for the train in London’s underground. Some people where conversing, while others waited patiently. Snape stood stiffly still, wearing a muggle outfit consisted of a pair of blue-jeans, a warm black woolen polo-neck pullover, a coat and a pair of squeaky clean black boots; and held a small green-eyed boy that was looking around in excitement. Snape felt the small hand’s warmness inside his palm and let a nervous sigh. He rubbed his free hand on his head and waited. Suddenly his thoughts were disturbed by a loud approaching noise. He looked up as he felt the small boy cowering behind his leg.

Baby Harry was surprised by the new outside-the-castle’s-walls world he was experiencing but all these loud noises were making him nervous. From behind his guardian he gazed as a big white thing entered for the hole on the wall. He looked up and stared at his ‘daddy’ expectantly. He looked back at him, raised his shoulders and then took his into his arms. Harry looked over his ‘daddy’s’ shoulder as he carried him inside the train.

Snape sat down and place baby Harry on his lap, as the train started its monotonous journey. The raven-haired man’s eyes wondered around and then rested on the little boy. Baby Harry was holding Bibi, the stuffed unicorn toy, in his hands and was half-babbling, half-speaking to it in excitement.

“You have no idea on how lucky you are Boy.” Snape thought as Harry hugged the unicorn-toy affectionately. “You have nothing to worry about, yet”

“Aren’t those two cute?” asked a soft whispering voice that reached his ears, bringing him back to reality. He looked up, but instead of turning his head; he looked with the corner of his eyes for the source of speaking.

A few seats away there were two old women, who were looking at him, and baby Harry, fondly. He did not look up towards them. For a weird reason he wondered of what they were about to say.

“Yes, dear. And how sweet this little one is!” her companion said “Look at how he plays with that unicorn toy!”

“Precious like a piece of freshly-baked bread,” the other said nodding in agreement.

“And his father,” the old woman said while Snape suppressed a snort, “Such a handsome young man. Reminds me of my Jonathan, God rest his soul.”

“It is so good to see the younger generation taking care of its children. When we were young, men never paid attention to children.”

“Never knew how difficult it is to raise a child!”

“You are telling me.” Snape thought in agreement, “Especially this little menace over here” he added looking at baby Harry who was banging Bibi against his lap.

“Oh look at how much he looks like his father. Has his hair I presume.”

When Snape heard that comment it was as if someone had slapped him across the face. He looked at the women in bewilderment and standing up he rushed towards the open doors.

“They were old. Don’t panic, they were old. No one except them will ever think you are Potter’s father. You are not turning soft and caring,” he kept muttering to himself as he walked towards the exits.

-)-)-)

Severus Snape strolled down the wet streets of London seeking for the correct address. Every once and a while he would stop and explain something to baby Harry, who kept asking of what everything was. Thinking it to himself he wondered whether it was healthy for a small child to be secluded on a castle for such a long period of time. Yet he immediately scolded the question and gave himself a mental order of not to worry about the Boy’s welfare.

He finally stopped and looked at the address on the paper before looking at the building that stood before him. It was a tall, dirty-white one with green window-sills and a red roof that was packed in snow. It looked like a normal old house. There was nothing to indicate that there was a doctor’s office there.

He paced carefully on the slippery footpath that led to the door and hoped that Madam Pomfrey had not made a mistake on the address. He dreaded the mere idea of being answered by an old lady, who would kindly demand the reason he stood on her doorstep. He stopped at the door, looked around and reached his hand to knock the wooden white door. Yet, before his knuckles would touch the wood, the door opened inviting him inside.

Snape, who was still holding baby Harry by the hand, entered cautiously inside the house. The door closed slowly behind him making his neck’s hair rise slightly as the chill breeze faded. In front of him there was a small staircase that led to a corridor, which turned right. He looked at the staircase and, taking baby Harry to his arms; he started climbing the steps. Reaching the top he turned his head and met a freshly painted door with a glass-sill that had the words ‘Helena Stewart. Child Doctor.’ Snape pushed the door and heard the twinkle of a small bell as he entered.

“Doctor?” the pale man said quietly as he entered inside. He looked around only to discover a piece of paper that had the words ‘Gone out for a while. Please wait in the lobby’ scribbled on them.

Snape paced inside to what it seemed to be the lobby. It was a room that was full of toys, had two huge covered-with-teddy-bears sofas and many small chairs of different colours. He felt baby Harry leaving his hand and moving at the toys slowly. He looked around. The walls were full of magical pictures of kittens that were playing, running happily and snoozing peacefully. Snape moved towards one of the sofas and removed some of the stuffed toys. Seeing that most of them were also feline-shaped, he could not help but to comment with a sneer.

“Oh another cat-lover Squib!”

“Yes, but unlike others,” a crispy voice said behind his back startling him “I find they are also tasteful when they are eaten with chips.”

He turned around to face her feeling slightly embarrassed. For Snape may was sarcastic when it came to people, but he rarely talked ill behind people’s back. He saw her. Helena Stewart was a woman at her late thirties, had medium height and was wearing a white doctor’s blouse. Her slight plumb face was adorned with a sneering smiling and two cunning eyes that were hidden behind two rectangular spectacles of her glasses. Seeing her face Snape immediately understood on why Poppy had warned him to ‘act civil’ before she would say goodbye to him that day. That woman’s eyes clearly stated that she would not anyone make her feel bad about being a Squib, powerful wizard or not.

“Professor Snape I presume,” she said slowly and turned her attention to baby Harry who was now standing near his guardian. “And who this lovely boy might be?”

Baby Harry hid his face behind his guardian’s leg and clutched his unicorn toy tighter before looking at the doctor with his big olive-green eyes.

“This is Harry” Snape said bringing him forward, “Say hello to the doctor Harry.”

“Aloou” baby Harry said sheepishly.

“Nice to meet you Harry. Oh and who is your friend?” Dr. Stewart asked enthusiastically pointing at Bibi.

Harry’s face beamed. That lady seemed to care about Bibi also. “Bibi” he cried out enthusiastically.

“Nice to meet you too Bibi” she smiled shaking the unicorn’s face leg and showed her way to the office.

Doctor Stewart first examined Bibi to show Harry that he had nothing to worry about. Baby Harry which had the ‘If-she-is-good-with-my-toy-she-must-be-good-with-me’ mentality that every child his age had, allowed her to examine him as well. Having assured her self that Harry was of perfect health, Dr. Stewart knew it was time to speak to the boy about shots.

“Harry do you know what a shot is?” she asked kindly, while Harry nodded in denial. “Well shots are given to both children and grown ups, so that we will not get sick. They are a little stingy, but. . .”

She was not able to conclude. As soon as baby Harry heard the dreadful ‘S’ word, he turned to look at Snape, who was sitting next to him, in horror while he slightly shouted “No pain! No pain.”

“Harry,” Snape intervened trying to bring reason at the little boy, “It’ll only hurt for a few seconds, and then you’ll be all better. You don’t want to get sick, do you? Be a brave little boy. I know you can.”

Baby Harry looked at Snape still feeling a little afraid. Snape gulped and stuttered slightly as he spoke “D-d-d-do it f-f-for me. Please?”

“OH HELL I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT ESCAPED MY MOUTH!” he immediately thought in horror. Yet the message was taken and the toddler nodded in agreement.

Dr. Stewart smiled and reached for the shots and the medicine. Seeing the needle, baby Harry started shuddering slightly. He was in the verge of tears when the doctor suggested something.

“The needles are a bit scary aren’t they? I have an idea. Why don’t you give your

daddy,” in the word ‘daddy’ he received a venomous glare from the Potion Master, “one big bear-hug.”

Snape’s eyes enlarged in shock as he was immediately ‘attacked’ by a small toddler who was wearing a small sleeveless t-shirt. Two small hands circled around his neck as he was squeezed into a strong hug. He was kept there stiffly immobile, hoping unsuccessfully that he was not blushing, as that doctor rubbed some cotton with antiseptic on the boy’s shoulder and then pierced its skin with a needle. Having finished the doctor reached for her magical Band-Aids. She presented them to Harry, who immediately selected a red one with golden snitches.

“And now, as a reward for being so brave, choose a lollypop,” she said smiling giving Harry a bag full of lollipops. Harry chose a banana-flavoured one that he started sucking immediately. Snape stood up to leave, when he was cut off by the doctor.

“I am sorry Professor Snape. I am afraid we are not done yet.”

Snape looked at her in anticipation as she spoke.

“Along for the request for giving this little boy’s his shots, Professor Dumbledore asked me to give you a shot for Influenza. He wrote to me that you currently suffer from flues. . .”

“Nothing a good Potion cannot cure” Snape said icily giving a mental order to himself to murder Dumbledore slowly and painfully.

“Yes, but” the doctor insisted “I am perfectly sure that the Potion does not help you with your blocked nose that it is an outcome of such a sickness.”

Snape looked at the woman venomously. She knew too much about sicknesses.

“And I bet that this causes you severe headaches”

“What I cannot understand doctor,” Snape snarled looking as if he was about to murder someone. “Is how on Earth you know all these? I am perfectly sure that the Headmaster has not written my whole Patience’s past to you. He is not aware that I suffer from headaches.”

“Well I am a doctor Professor. And I might say that you have a very interesting shape of nose. It indicates a very narrow inhaling passage. When it blocks it causes you severe headaches and migraines. Am I correct?”

“You are, damn you!” Snape thought and nodded.

“So having assured me that you are perfectly healthy now, Professor Dumbledore asked me not to allow your departure before you have a shot yourself” she said in a matter-of-fact tone as Snape looked at her in horror.

Severus Snape worked as a Potion Master, was an ex-DeathEater and a current spy for the Order of Phoenix. Many wizards believed that he was fearless. But in reality he wasn’t. Severus Snape was afraid of Shots. This was a result of a traumatic experience he had when he was three years old, the last time he had a shot in his life. His doctor at that time was not as modern as Dr. Stewart was, and the worst of all a Muggle. That day, which was also the last time he ever saw a doctor, resulted to a very panicked child, himself, his very panicked mother, a small explosion and a memory-modification spell that made his doctor feel extremely disoriented. Therefore the mention of the dreaded ‘Snots’ word was expectantly not taken well.

“Doctor Stewart, there is no power in the world that would convince me to allow pierce a needle inside me,” he said so dangerously that the threat seemed touchable. “After all how do I know that you will not insert something dangerous inside my blood?”

“Professor, in case you haven’t notice I am a Squib,” she said crisply, “I have no idea on how to make potions. And even if I had, there is no potion in the world that is pierced through skin.”

Snape growled slightly. That woman was well informed. She immediately thought of hexing her but then his eyes fell on the little boy who was standing near him, still sucking his lollipop. Doctor Stewart looked at baby Harry with a pleading look and as if the boy had immediately understood he looked at his guardian and asked in a pleading voice.

“Me no wants you sick! You bwave! Pweeeaaaasseeee?”

“Traitor” Snape immediately thought feeling his defences collide by the toddler’s pleading look. “Uh I am spending too much time with this boy,” he thought in defeat and rolled his right sleeve up exposing his naked arm.

Doctor Stewart hummed to herself as she prepared the injection shot. When Snape felt his arm get moistened by the antiseptic, he turned his head away from the doctor in disgust.

“I am not going to panic. I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. I am definitely not going to cry!” Snape repeated over and over while the injection was pierced his skin and released the stinging liquid inside his blood.

Snape took a deep breath of release when the needle was finally removed from his skin. He opened his eyes as the doctor removed a green Band-Aid with little Potion Vials from their package and stuck it on his shoulder.

“Bwavo!” Harry exclaimed enthusiastically clapping his hands and then offered him a brown lollipop.

Snape looked at the lollipop and then at the small boy, who was still sucking his own one. Unwrapping it slowly he put it into his mouth and to his surprise it tasted like chocolate.

-)-)-)

Days passed by very quickly and two days before the return of students at Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey announced that it was time for Harry to have his new Potion Dose. Harry, who was about to turn to a twenty-two month old boy waited for his cup of ‘magical’ juice. Taking the cup from Madam Pomfrey’s hands he started gulping happily. Yet with the last drop it happened.

FLASHBACKS

“Lilly, take Harry and get out of here now!” a male voice echoed inside his head and the blurry vision of a man kissed him in a hurry before he would go away.

---

“No, not Harry! Not my baby! Please!” a woman pleaded as her red hair shone near his face. A terrible cold laughter was heard and then a green light filled his vision.

---

A scream woke him up as someone grabbed him ungracefully and entered the house.

“Vernon! That boy! Here! No!”

“How did this happened?” an angry voice questioned the female shrieking voice.

“They died. That’s what the letter says! Oh my God Vernon we are stuck with him. What will we do?”

---

“My toys! Mine! You no toys!” a shrieking voice screamed near him and pushed him down, making him feel in pain. “Mummy Harry tries steal my toys!”

“Harry you are a bad boy” a woman said gripping him and locking him in a cold dark room. “You stay there and think of how bad you were.”

---

“Ha! Your parents were irresponsibly driving drunk. Always rebel. Never cared about you. They gone get killed and we are stuck with useless you,” the harsh male voice said in pleasure as he let him into the small dark room under the stairs.

END OF FLASHBACK

Baby Harry’s eyes flickered and looked around the room in surprise. Snape looked at the Boy’s behaviour and tried to catch his attention. Harry looked at the hook-nosed man. His eyes stared back at him with an earth-shuttering look that could make even the stones weep. His lips quivered and his eyes waterd.

“No Ady” he said in devastation to his guardian and clutching Bibi; he let his tears fall and roll down his cheeks.